Muschamp hires veteran SEC coach to replace Quinn

Florida confirmed Tuesday the hiring of former South Carolina defensive line coach Brad Lawing.

UF coach Will Muschamp hired Lawing away from the Gamecocks to fill the void on his staff created by former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. The Seattle Seahawks hired Quinn as defensive coordinator last Thursday. Muschamp promoted linebackers coach D.J. Durkin to defensive coordinator the same day.

Lawing will also hold the title of assistant head coach in addition to coaching UF’s defensive line with assistant Bryant Young. Florida does not have a special teams coordinator, a position Durkin held last season, but Muschamp has stated those duties could be divided among the staff.

Lawing has a strong track record in coaching and recruiting. The 55-year-old Lawing has coached at South Carolina for 17 seasons in two stints. In all, Lawing has 29 years of experience coaching defensive lines and 14 years coaching in the Southeastern Conference.

“We are excited to have Brad Lawing join our coaching staff,” Muschamp said in a statement released by the school. “His track record speaks for itself — his nearly three decades of experience coaching defensive linemen, his familiarity with the SEC and our shared philosophical beliefs make him a perfect fit for our program.”

Lawing worked for the Gamecocks from 1989-98 and has been back in Columbia under coach Steve Spurrier since 2006.

Lawing coached four years at Michigan State (1999-02) and was on current Alabama coach Nick Saban’s staff during his final year with the Spartans in 1999. Lawing coached three years at North Carolina (2003-05). He has also served as recruiting coordinator at all three schools, though he did not hold that title this past season at South Carolina.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with Coach Muschamp and the entire Gator coaching staff,” Lawing said in a statement. “Coach Muschamp and I share the same philosophical beliefs defensively.”

With Lawing’s help, South Carolina’s defense has been stout in recent years. In 2010, the Gamecocks set a school record with 41 sacks. The following season, South Carolina was third in the nation in total defense and defensive end Melvin Ingram became a first-round pick.

This past season, South Carolina finished fifth in the nation in sacks, 11th in total defense and 13th in scoring defense. Lawing has helped develop defensive end Jadeveon Clowney into a Heisman Trophy candidate heading into the 2013 season.